Earthspark Episodes 1 & 2 review/synopsis

[BlackZarak]

Transformers Earthspark Episode 1 & 2 review
(Spoilers ahead)

I just finished the pilot episodes (episodes 1 & 2) of Transformers Earthspark, and it was pretty good. It feels a lot like the TMNT series that Nickelodeon did back in 2012. There are lots of homages to G1 TF, especially the short history montage that pulls images directly from the Sunbow series.

This is an alternate universe, though, that deviates when Optimus Prime destroys the spacebridge which somehow forces Megatron to make peace with the Autobots for the betterment of the Cybertronians who are now stranded on Earth. Many Decepticons have gone rogue, though they still kowtow to Megatron, though they no longer follow him.

The Autobots and Megatron assist a secret military organization called GHOST that works to ensure safe Cybertronian-Earth relations. GHOST's symbol is the round insignia you see on Optimus, Elita-1, and Megatron, as well as their vehicles.
The main humans involved are the Malto family, Alex, Dot, Robby, and Morgan (Mo, for short). Dot is a veteran from the TF war who thinks she's finally gotten a quiet forest ranger job, but it's really a cover-op for GHOST.

They are currently in Witwicky, Pennsylvania investigating the disappearances of several Decepticons. They bait a sting operation with energon that lures in Swindle and Hardtop. During the sting, spider-like Arachnamechs attack them, and allowing Swindle to escape. Hardtop is captured, and is transported by driverless truck back to GHOST, but it is waylaid by Arachnamechs, who abduct Hardtop.

The abduction forces Mo and Robby, who are nearby, into a glowing cave, where they contact a glowing crystal that attaches "cyber-sleeves" to their arms and activates two protoforms, Twitch and Thrash. The cyber-sleeves form an empathic bond between the children and the protoforms, as they can feel each others' emotions. Robby is bonded to Twitch. Mo is bonded to Thrash. After an Arachnamech attacks them in the cave, the two robots go home with the kids, who hide them in their barn, and give them Transformers comics to give them information on what they are.
There seems to be a popular culture built around the Transformers, post-war, with media and merchandise popularizing the various Cybertronians, who are regarded as celebrities. Alex Malto, the human family's father, is a total Transformers geek, sharing stories of the war and detailed knowledge on the various Cybertronians. His favorite is Bumblebee, who has been unseen for years.

Optimus, Elita-1, and Megatron, meet up with Dot Malto, where they are investigating the abduction of Hardtop and destruction of the GHOST convoy, where Wheeljack is name-dropped. Dot and Megatron banter back-and-forth as if they are old comrades.
Hardtop's abductor is revealed to be a nameless one-armed human who commands the Arachnamechs. He has his robots remove Hardtop's arm and attaches it to his own shoulder that is missing an arm. He then sends out Arachnamechs to capture the two young Cybertronians. Twitch scans one of Optimus Prime's flying drones and gains her alt-mode.

A battle ensues on the streets of Witwicky, PA, and the children and young robots are rescued by the intervention of Megatron, Optimus, Elita, and Dot. Optimus calls for a GHOST transport to take Twitch and Thrash to a safe location. A truck arrives to transport them away, but it is really the antagonist human scientist disguised by a hologram.

He takes Twitch and Thrash back to his lab, where he pretends to be friendly, while he interrogates them.
He states that native Cybertronians have the binomial nomenclature of "Cybertronus cybertronii", but seeing that these two new robots are fundamentally different, and have "organic and energonic hybridization", and dubs them "Cybertronus terrans". Thrash in turn dubs the scientist as "Mandroid", since he is "part man, part android".

Optimus and the others realize that they've been duped and use the childrens' cyber-sleeves to track down the missing robots. They burst in and fight the Arachnamechs, then Mandroid reveals that he has mind-controlled Decepticons to command, marked with his own insignia, and attacks the with Hardtop, Bombshell (and a Bombshell clone), and Skullcruncher. Mandroid sends the Insecticons to attack Elita-1 while he escapes, and notes that it was for "old time's sake", hinting at a connection to Elita-1 and the scientist.

Thrash fights Skullcruncher and manages to scan a motorcycle with a sidecar that becomes his alt-mode. Bumblebee arrives to the surprise of everyone and soon Mandroid's Decepticons are overcome. Hardtop, again in control of himself, apologizes to Megatron, and swears that he would never attack him of his own volition.

Dot insists that the new robots stay with them, and Optimus agrees, and sends Bumblebee along with them to protect and train Twitch and Thrash.
Overall, it looks like a good start to the series. The animation is great, and the voice acting is top notch. The action scenes are well-executed. Granted, this series doesn't have the seriousness of, say, Transformers: Prime, but it's still early, and the groundwork for plenty of intrigue is laid with the GHOST organization and Mandroid. There were lots of references to the G1 cartoon and the Transformers fandom. It shows that they are aware of what has come before, as well as the fanbase, which is always a good start. I'm very curious to see where this all goes.
In an additional note, Clancy Brown is credited in this episode as "Quintus Prime", but he did not appear in the pilot, as far as I could tell. I'm curious how he fits in, and if that's why GHOST's sigil looks Quintessan. Hmm.
Attached are labelled screenshot from the pilot. Enjoy!